Welcome

Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: I finally had an Atripla dream! (Read 3722 times)

So I'm on my fourth week of Atripla and so far it's been fantastic! The only side effect I've had was at day 12Ö The "Atripla Rash" came on like a firestorm and retreated almost as fast! I think I had about 24 hours of really itchy skin with a rash and then it was gone.

My first few days of treatment I was extra careful not to eat 3 hours before bed, not drink alcohol, not eat fatty foods, yada, yada, yada... Since Iíve had no issues with it Iíve starting to experiment. I cut my "no eat" time to 1 hour, Iíve resumed my usual "after work beer" and still nothing! Iím so grateful Atripla is agreeing with me.

Last night was my birthday and I had, well, "a few" mixed drinksÖ I basically washed my Artipla down with a Vodka / 7-up and went to bed.

Wow, what incredible dreams I had, so vivid! I could feel the sand in my toes and smell the beach air! I was almost disappointed when I woke up and realized it was a dream and I had to go to work this morning!

So I guess I've found my first limit... No hard alcohol chasers with Atripla!

Glad the Atriplla is working out for you Aaron -It is one of those trial and error things in terms of figuring out whether you can eat when you take it, drink, etc.

Glad the rash cleared up quick for you and that you enjoyed your first dream.

I get the occasional dream - last night my mother was serving some homecooking to Gloria Estefan (from Miami Sound Machine) in my dream - I think she was in it because I had watched a news story where she had just opened up another of her Bongos restaurant on South Beach. Great dream though!

So I'm on my fourth week of Atripla and so far it's been fantastic! The only side effect I've had was at day 12Ö The "Atripla Rash" came on like a firestorm and retreated almost as fast! I think I had about 24 hours of really itchy skin with a rash and then it was gone.

My first few days of treatment I was extra careful not to eat 3 hours before bed, not drink alcohol, not eat fatty foods, yada, yada, yada... Since Iíve had no issues with it Iíve starting to experiment. I cut my "no eat" time to 1 hour, Iíve resumed my usual "after work beer" and still nothing! Iím so grateful Atripla is agreeing with me.

Last night was my birthday and I had, well, "a few" mixed drinksÖ I basically washed my Artipla down with a Vodka / 7-up and went to bed.

Wow, what incredible dreams I had, so vivid! I could feel the sand in my toes and smell the beach air! I was almost disappointed when I woke up and realized it was a dream and I had to go to work this morning!

So I guess I've found my first limit... No hard alcohol chasers with Atripla!

The first drug I started on was Atripla! It made me feel like I was drunk after taking it. So, I really didn't need any alcohol... I remember I had Freddy Krueger type nightmares ALL the time, while on it! They were VERY vivid, which made them that much more traumatizing for me. I'd wake up in a sweat half of the time, trying to catch my breath!

Also, I got the "Atripla Rash", I didn't know it had it's own name.... so I guess it's more common than I thought. Is it considered an allergic reaction, cause that's what my doctor said I experienced, or are you talking about something totally different?

It sparked up on the 7th day of taking it. I got it really bad! Swollen all over my body, I'd noticed waking up in the morning. I disregarded it for 4-5 days, continuing to consume it, because I knew what a great drug it was, and how lucky I was to have it due to the minimal side effects, and convenience of only one pill a day.... I didn't want to fuck that up with a side effect that might had eventually gone away if I'd just bared through the pain and severe irritation for just a few more days. I still remember how horrible of an experience it was. The stinging and relentless burning of my skin drove me INSANE! Eventually, I got a really high fever that would not go away, and occasional difficulty breathing, but I was still soo determined to want to make it work out.

I went to the doctor, as I had become a little concerned. I remember the shocked look on their faces when they saw me. They were mad, since I didn't come in earlier. I told them I had still wanted to use the Atripla because I knew the rash would go away soon. I wasn't sure if that was true at the time, I'd just convinced myself that it would.They were going to send me to the hospital, because they said my throat could swell up, and I'd suffocate to death.. So, they took me off of it for a week or two, which is how long it took for me to heal, and started me on the regimen I'm on now.

@ whereIsTheArkYes the "Atripla rash" is a drug reaction. My doc said it varies from person to person in its severity. They did ask me to come in when I was starting to get really itchy and bumpy... So I did. After looking me over they said in rare cases it can get in your mouth and throat and be very serious. They said they expected I would be just fine but wanted to keep an eye on me until something gave... My nurse practitioner basically called me every few hours to check up on me until the itching stopped and the bumps flattened out. From what they told me I had one of the worst cases they had seen in some time... But it passed quickly with minimal discomfort.

The rash that Ark experienced sounds like Stevens-Johnson syndrome, usually referred to as SJS. It is an extreme allergic reaction that can happen with some drugs and can be fatal. It is the Sustiva in Atripla that is the usual culprit, and some people might get this reaction from sulpha-based antibiotics taken to prevent PCP. What gives it away in Ark's case is the fever.

Anyone who develops a rash after starting any med should promptly consult their doctor. In most cases the rash is just something to be endured for a few days or a week, but in the rare case it can be very, very serious. It is better to be safe than sorry - don't worry about "bothering" your doctor over what you may believe to be a "simple" rash. Ark, I'm glad you got through this ok. It could have been tragic.

There is a member here (who doesn't post much these days) who very nearly died due to not being diagnosed quickly enough. He actually won a lawsuit over the situation. He's really lucky to be here today.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I was on Atripla from pretty much the beginning of my diagnosis 5 years ago. To get an occasional dream, good for you. I would get them every night no matter what. I dealt with them only because I was doing pretty well on it. Could not seem to get to UD but once in a while. I started at a cd4 of 52 and it got me up to the 800's. My vl was always pretty low on it just never UD. Well I did finally decide I was going to switch it because it made me very blah the next day and i was just tired of feeling that way after so long. Did the switch just in time as I found out I was pregnant. I hope they are over for you now.

I just restarted Atripla about 2 weeks ago after being off a year. Got the Atripla rash. its bugging me so bad. I was so hoping for some of those awesome atripla dreams. Last time I had the most amazing dreams. One thing this time is that sometimes I just feel half stoned not drunk. Last time I started Atripla I was in the ICU with PCP and on a ton of really good hospital drugs so I was fully stoned most of the time. But this time I just feel out of it some days. The only other things I'm on is prenizone and bactrim. And yes that means I got pneumonia again.

Logged

I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you. - Grandpa Simpson I knit, therefore I am - Me